5-10% of women in the US suffer to some degree with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS. Although many women with PCOS do not know what is wrong with them, they all understand that something is not quite right.
Symptoms of PCOS include:
Infrequent menstrual periods, no menstrual periods at all, and/or irregular bleeding during menstrual periods
Infertility, lack of ovulation
Increased growth of hair on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs or toes
Acne, oily skin or dandruff
Pelvic pain
Weight gain or obesity, usually carrying excess weight around the waist
Type 2 diabetes
High cholesterol
High blood sugar
Male-pattern baldness or thinning hair
Patches of thickened and darker skin on the neck, arms, breasts or thighs
Skin tags in the armpits or neck area
Sleep apnea or excessive snoring
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a condition in which women's bodies have high levels of male hormones, or androgens, they have an irregular menstrual cycle or none at all, and they may have many small cysts in their ovaries.
No cause has been found for PCOS, and there is no way of knowing who will have it. There may be a genetic link, but this has not been proven. There also may be a link to insulin resistance, the body's inability to properly produce and use insulin to regulate blood sugar.
Life with PCOS is often miserable, with severe menstrual pain, excruciating pain when large cysts develop, irregular menstrual cycles, mood swings, obesity, and a general feeling of things not being right.
What's more, not only is PCOS itself difficult to live with, causing major problems for the women who suffer from it, but it creates long-term risks as well.
Irregular menstrual periods and the absence of ovulation produce estrogen but not progesterone, which cases the endometrium to shed each month. This can eventually lead to endometrial hyperplasia or cancer.
Women with PCOS are at a higher risk for diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
The earlier in life the symptoms are brought under control, the better the prognosis for a healthy life.
There are several natural supplements and vitamins which can help with PCOS symptoms and bring the condition under control, improving not only the PCOS but also overall health, and decreasing the risks for serious long-term illnesses.
First, a good multivitamin and mineral are called for to increase overall health.
Chromium is well-known as a PCOS treatment because it helps with insulin usage by encouraging the formation of Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF), a substance produced by the liver which makes insulin more effective. A deficiency in chromium can lead to insulin resistance, which seems to be a lead factor in PCOS.
B Vitamins help control PCOS symptoms, including controlling weight and hormone balance.
Zinc is necessary for the correct behavior of many hormones, including insulin, and is crucial to overall health.
Magnesium deficiency has been linked to insulin resistance, which is a major element in PCOS.
Agnus Castus (chastetree berry) helps to regulate pituitary gland function, and is very important for PCOS treatment.
Saw Palmetto, which is often used for treatment of prostate conditions, functions to prevent excess levels of testosterone.
PCOS is a miserable and potentially very serious condition, but there are natural treatments available, and it can be treated effectively.
Friday, November 24, 2006
The Unrecognized Disease: Insulin Resistance
Before discussing what insulin resistance is, it might be useful to explain exactly what insulin is, because there is a very low awareness among most people about this hormone. We hear the term "insulin-dependent diabetes," but we don't really know what insulin is.
The hormone insulin, which is produced by the pancreas, helps the body use glucose, or blood sugar. Insulin binds with receptors on cells, much like a key fitting a lock. Insulin resistance is a condition where, to continue the metaphor, the doors have too many locks. The cells cannot accept the insulin.
When the insulin is not accepted by the cells, the pancreas secretes more insulin to maintain healthy blood sugar. The more insulin resistance, the more insulin the body creates. In about 1/3 of the people with insulin resistance, when the cells do not respond to the higher levels of insulin, glucose builds up in the blood. This high blood glucose is known as Type 2 Diabetes, and is a direct result of insulin resistance.
Not everyone with insulin resistance develops diabetes, and researchers have not discovered what causes some individuals to develop the disease while others do not.
However, the risk of diabetes is clearly high for those with insulin resistance.
While insulin resistance is still not widely known, it is becoming more recognized as more people in the U.S. become obese and/or physically inactive, and this is being reported more by news organizations and healthcare agencies.
Obese/physically inactive people are more likely to be insulin resistant, which can lead to an increased level of blood fat, or triglycerides, and a decrease in HDL, which is the good cholesterol. These two imbalances can increase the risk for heart disease.
Thus, insulin resistance can directly influence heart health, and that has become a focus for health reporting.
Another problem related to insulin resistance is Syndrome X, a collection of risk factors for heart disease, including hypertriglyceridmia (high blood lipid), low HDL-cholesterol, hyperinsulinemia (high blood insulin), and often hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) and hypertension (high blood sugar). All of these conditions are influenced by insulin resistance and the group together poses a high risk for heart disease.
Insulin resistance is present in almost all individuals with Type 2 diabetes and in many with high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Women with polycystic ovarian disorder are generally insulin resistant. About 20-25% of "healthy" people may actually be insulin resistant.
There are natural treatments which can greatly decrease insulin resistance and the health risks that go along with being insulin resistant.
Vitamin E improves glucose metabolism and insulin absorption.
Chromium lowers glucose levels as well as cholesterol levels, and is best taken as chromium picolinate.
The B Vitamins, especially B6 and B12, and folic acid, help prevent complications in those with diabetes.
Magnesium deficiency is one of the most common health problems, and since diabetics especially do not absorb magnesium well, this supplement is recommended for anyone at risk for diabetes.
Lipoic acid, which is a powerful antioxidant, also improves insulin sensitivity and is a must for anyone with insulin deficiency.
Vanadium is believed by some experts to be the most important supplement for insulin resistance. It activates the insulin receptors in the same way insulin does, and can effectively lower glucose levels.
American ginseng, in recent studies, has been proven to prevent the spike in blood sugar that follows a meal.
Because many diabetics are deficient in the hormone DHEA, fish oil has been found useful in blood sugar control.
Supplements, a healthy diet, and regular exercise can greatly increase overall health and reduce insulin resistance, also reducing the risks of diabetes and heart disease.
Before discussing what insulin resistance is, it might be useful to explain exactly what insulin is, because there is a very low awareness among most people about this hormone. We hear the term "insulin-dependent diabetes," but we don't really know what insulin is.
The hormone insulin, which is produced by the pancreas, helps the body use glucose, or blood sugar. Insulin binds with receptors on cells, much like a key fitting a lock. Insulin resistance is a condition where, to continue the metaphor, the doors have too many locks. The cells cannot accept the insulin.
When the insulin is not accepted by the cells, the pancreas secretes more insulin to maintain healthy blood sugar. The more insulin resistance, the more insulin the body creates. In about 1/3 of the people with insulin resistance, when the cells do not respond to the higher levels of insulin, glucose builds up in the blood. This high blood glucose is known as Type 2 Diabetes, and is a direct result of insulin resistance.
Not everyone with insulin resistance develops diabetes, and researchers have not discovered what causes some individuals to develop the disease while others do not.
However, the risk of diabetes is clearly high for those with insulin resistance.
While insulin resistance is still not widely known, it is becoming more recognized as more people in the U.S. become obese and/or physically inactive, and this is being reported more by news organizations and healthcare agencies.
Obese/physically inactive people are more likely to be insulin resistant, which can lead to an increased level of blood fat, or triglycerides, and a decrease in HDL, which is the good cholesterol. These two imbalances can increase the risk for heart disease.
Thus, insulin resistance can directly influence heart health, and that has become a focus for health reporting.
Another problem related to insulin resistance is Syndrome X, a collection of risk factors for heart disease, including hypertriglyceridmia (high blood lipid), low HDL-cholesterol, hyperinsulinemia (high blood insulin), and often hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) and hypertension (high blood sugar). All of these conditions are influenced by insulin resistance and the group together poses a high risk for heart disease.
Insulin resistance is present in almost all individuals with Type 2 diabetes and in many with high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Women with polycystic ovarian disorder are generally insulin resistant. About 20-25% of "healthy" people may actually be insulin resistant.
There are natural treatments which can greatly decrease insulin resistance and the health risks that go along with being insulin resistant.
Vitamin E improves glucose metabolism and insulin absorption.
Chromium lowers glucose levels as well as cholesterol levels, and is best taken as chromium picolinate.
The B Vitamins, especially B6 and B12, and folic acid, help prevent complications in those with diabetes.
Magnesium deficiency is one of the most common health problems, and since diabetics especially do not absorb magnesium well, this supplement is recommended for anyone at risk for diabetes.
Lipoic acid, which is a powerful antioxidant, also improves insulin sensitivity and is a must for anyone with insulin deficiency.
Vanadium is believed by some experts to be the most important supplement for insulin resistance. It activates the insulin receptors in the same way insulin does, and can effectively lower glucose levels.
American ginseng, in recent studies, has been proven to prevent the spike in blood sugar that follows a meal.
Because many diabetics are deficient in the hormone DHEA, fish oil has been found useful in blood sugar control.
Supplements, a healthy diet, and regular exercise can greatly increase overall health and reduce insulin resistance, also reducing the risks of diabetes and heart disease.
Alzheimer's: Don’t Be a Victim
There is a misconception, particularly in the United States, that Alzheimer's disease is a normal part of aging. Because of this misconception, the disease is accepted as something you will definitely face as you age, and you might as well get used to the idea.
The fact is, Alzheimer's is not unavoidable, and it is not just a normal part of aging. Alzheimer's disease is just that--a disease. No one knows what causes it or who will be affected by it, but we do know what it is, and we know ways to reduce our risk.
We do not have to live in fear of developing Alzheimer's disease.
First, we should know exactly what Alzheimer's disease is. It's a progressive, degenerative disease affecting the brain. Cells in the brain shrink, or disappear altogether, and are replaced with plaque. Thread-like structures of plaque choke off healthy brain cells.
All of this causes the brain to cease functioning correctly, which results in loss of mental and physical abilities and changes in behavior.
You're probably very familiar with the advanced symptoms of Alzheimer's, including loss of memory and inability to function on one's own.
You may not be aware of some of the warning signs of Alzheimer's, including:
- Memory loss
- Difficulty in performing routine tasks like balancing a checkbook
- Forgetting simple words more often than before
- Difficulty being understood when you speak
- Misplacing items, i.e. putting the phone in the refrigerator
- Mental confusion, such as getting lost on your own street
Many of these are things we all do occasionally; of course the point at which they become warning signs is the point at which they become abnormal for you.
Avoiding Alzheimer's is not as easy as one would hope, because no one knows what causes it or who is likely to get it. But there are things you can do to help reduce your chances of getting Alzheimer's.
Exercise, according to a 5-year study in Canada, cuts the risk not only of Alzheimer's but of other forms of mental decline and dementia, particularly in women. The more you exercise, the more your brain is sheltered from the risks of Alzheimer's.
According to the study, those who exercised the most were half as likely as inactive people to develop Alzheimer's disease and 40% less likely to suffer other forms of mental decline and dementia.
But even low levels of activity decreased risk for mental decline, dementia and Alzheimer's.
Doctors believe that medications designed to lower blood cholesterol may protect against the development of Alzheimer's. One natural supplement used for cholesterol, red yeast extract, is a natural statin; the very substance doctors believe can reduce chances of Alzheimer's.
Folic acid and vitamins C and E are believed to help prevent the occurrence of Alzheimer's, as well, and are very good for overall health. The antioxidant properties of these vitamins help prevent neuron damage in the brain and reduce the risks of mental decline.
One of the best things you can do to prevent Alzheimer's is to keep your brain active. Read, take courses, play games, do crossword puzzles, and have intellectual conversations. Keep your brain active; keep developing new connections in your brain.
There are no guarantees against Alzheimer's, but there are steps you can take, naturally, to protect your brain, and your mind, against this horrible illness.
Nutrasweet-Not So Sweet After All
While sugar is often seen as "bad" these days, and aspartame as "good"-- it is useful to look at the real facts surrounding this food additive.
It is also useful to point out that sugar, after all, is a natural substance, one that our bodies know how to deal with. Rather than substituting another, chemical, substance for sugar, it might be far better to limit our sugar intake and improve our overall diets to make better use of the natural foods available to us.
It is not well-known that aspartame, which may also appear on food labels as "acesulfame-k" or "sunette" can cause a variety of health symptoms, including:
- seizures and convulsions
- dizziness
- tremors
- migraines and severe headaches
- memory loss (common toxicity effects)
- slurring of speech
- confusion
- numbness or tingling of extremities
- chronic fatigue
- depression
- insomnia
- irritability
- panic attacks (common aspartame toxicity reaction)
- marked personality changes
- phobias
- rapid heart beat, tachycardia (another frequent reaction)
- asthma
- chest pains
- hypertension (high blood pressure)
- nausea or vomiting
- diarrhea
- abdominal pain
- swallowing pain
- itching
- hives / urticaria
- other allergic reactions
- blood sugar control problems (e.g., hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia)
- menstrual cramps and other menstrual problems or changes
- impotency and sexual problems
- food cravings
- weight gain
- hair loss / baldness or thinning of hair
- burning urination & other urination problems
- excessive thirst or excessive hunger
- bloating, edema (fluid retention)
- infection susceptibility
- joint pain
Aspartame disease, or chronic aspartame intake, can also mimic many serious illnesses, including:
depression and other psychological disorders
While aspartame seems safe, and while many organizations promote its safety, most of these organizations are in some way sponsored by or related to the companies that manufacture and use aspartame.
The best way to know the truth about aspartame is to get completely off of all aspartame products for at least 60 days, and measure the positive difference in your health and well-being at that point.
When you're avoiding aspartame, make sure you read labels carefully, because even items you would not expect to have aspartame in them may contain this substance. Almost any "light" or "diet" food, from soda to salad dressing, is a good candidate for aspartame and should be avoided.
Remember, rather than trying to avoid sugar by substituting aspartame, try eating more natural fruits and vegetables and less processed food. This is the best way to avoid aspartame and other harmful substances.
Once you've been off of aspartame for 60 days, if you're still not convinced of the health effects, try going back on it for 10 days and see how you feel then. You'll see a marked difference after just a short time of going back on aspartame.
If you are a diabetic and wish to balance your sugar levels naturally, go to our Blood Sugar Formulas to read more about various all natural products that can help you.
We recommend, NEVER using NutraSweet. It is a poison and neural toxin.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
AGING, OBESITY and INSULIN
Many of us are aging too rapidly. Perhaps you've seen someone that told you they were 50 and you thought to yourself, "wow, I thought they were 62"---of course, the opposite can be true, but unfortunately it is usually that someone looks older than they really are. One of the best ways to slow down aging is to have normal insulin levels.
Interestingly, this is precisely what is responsible for most people being overweight. Their insulin levels are too high from eating too many carbohydrates.
One of the things that happen with too many carbohydrates, is that as more and more insulin is secreted to handle the carbohydrates, receptors called insulin receptors start to down regulate, or turn themselves off because of all the 'noise' from too much insulin. As this happens, the pancreas secretes more insulin because it doesn't realize there is so much insulin in the blood already. Remember the receptors have started to turn themselves down...just as you would a loud radio. This leads to the pancreas working too hard and eventually shutting down. We call this Type 2 diabetes. The old name was Adult Onset Diabetes.
All of us should be taking the following:
Interestingly, this is precisely what is responsible for most people being overweight. Their insulin levels are too high from eating too many carbohydrates.
One of the things that happen with too many carbohydrates, is that as more and more insulin is secreted to handle the carbohydrates, receptors called insulin receptors start to down regulate, or turn themselves off because of all the 'noise' from too much insulin. As this happens, the pancreas secretes more insulin because it doesn't realize there is so much insulin in the blood already. Remember the receptors have started to turn themselves down...just as you would a loud radio. This leads to the pancreas working too hard and eventually shutting down. We call this Type 2 diabetes. The old name was Adult Onset Diabetes.
All of us should be taking the following:
- Fish oil---I've found Salmon Oil to be best.
- BioChromate -- has an important role in regulating appetite, reducing sugar cravings, and lowering body fat.
- Alpha Lipoic Acid --may enhance the glucose lowering action of insulin and a powerful antioxidant
- IF you have sugar problems, you may want to add Cinnamon Bark Capsules as well.
Unfortunately, there has been a childhood obesity epidemic in our country and many of these children are developing Type 2 diabetes which is why the name was eventually changed. Obesity in children is now at 30% and growing.
This is NOT genetics, this is lifestyle choice. This is very controllable. We were given free will, and we live in a free country. The choices we make ultimately decide what how healthy we will be.
Obese people will more rapidly degenerate and come down with diseases of aging such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and osteoarthritis. We must reverse this trend or for the first time in human history, we will begin to have children living shorter lives than their parents.
One way to get started is to do the following:
reduce the amount of time you and your children spend in front of the TV
eliminate all refined sugars and carbohydrates from your diet
no salt
no white flour
do not buy candy (it should be a RARE treat)---get healthy nuts (walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds) and have them have daily as snack
start walking with your children
STOP all soda drinking, yes, diet too, it's a poison---(what do you give your dog to drink?)---well, start giving your kids water too!
don't give your kids milk (type "dangers of milk" in google)---where do cows get calcium
give your child raw vegetables at EVERY MEAL
Reduce the amounts of GRAINS they are eating
start eating GRASS FED BEEF (read my article on the EARTHTURNSBLOG )
No one said it will be easy. But the alternative is a disaster. You are paying $90 a pound for Tic-Tacs so lets get real and not complain that healthy meat is $10 or $12 a pound and that fruits and vegetables are getting more expensive.
I welcome your comments for a lively discussion on this topic. More info to follow.
.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Omega 3 Study Reveals May Influence Mood
New Study Reveals Omega 3 Fatty Acids Influence Mood, Impulsivity and Personality
An exciting new study presented recently by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine revealed that adding Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (EFA=essential fatty acids) may influence mood, personality and behavior.This is huge. Research continues to prove what many of us have known and understood for quite some time. Americans are deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids and a myriad of chronic health conditions have emerged that are not genetic and not due to lack of drugs in their bodies, but due to lifestyle choices.
In the study of 106 healthy volunteers, the researchers discovered that participants who had lower blood levels of omega-3 essential fatty acids were more likely to report mild or moderate symptoms of depression, a more negative outlook and be more impulsive. Conversely, those with higher blood levels of omega-3s were found to be more agreeable.
"A number of previous studies have linked low levels of omega-3 to clinically significant conditions such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, substance abuse and attention deficit disorder," said Sarah Conklin, Ph.D., a postdoctoral scholar with the Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine Program in the department of psychiatry at the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine. "However, few studies have shown that these relationships also occur in healthy adults. This study opens the door for future research looking at what effect increasing omega-3 intake, whether by eating omega-3 rich foods like salmon, or taking fish-oil supplements, has on people's mood."
Due to mercury in our waters, it is imperative to take molecularly distilled fish oil supplements to get enough EFA’s. Unfortunately if you eat large quantities of fish, you run the risk of mercury toxicity.
Another great source of Omega 3 fatty acids is grass-fed beef. Read our article below about the benefits of grass fed beef.
Good luck and keep educating yourself about the role Omega 3’s play in your health.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Importance of Omega 3's and Fish Oil Great Source!
Though Lipitor is a common method for treating high levels of cholesterol, the drug is not nearly as efficient as Omega-3 fatty acids, found mainly in fish oils. Both Lipitor and Omega-3 fatty acids aim to raise levels of HDL cholesterol—known as “good” cholesterol.
The higher the level of this HDL cholesterol, the less the risk a person would have of acquiring a cardiovascular disease. HDL also removes any excess cholesterol from cells within the arteries, protecting against conditions such as atherosclerosis.
In several studies, both the drug and the fish oils successfully decreased plasma triacylglycerols and increased HDL cholesterol levels, but only the Omega-3 fats in the fish oil also affected the rates of the production and molecular breakdown of HDL apolipoproteins.
Not only did Lipitor have no such effect, but it was also found to do more harm than good. Statin drugs such as Lipitor deplete levels of bad LDL cholesterols, but they do nothing to modify the original cause of the rise in such cholesterol. Statin drugs also deplete the body of certain requirements, such as Coenzyme Q10—which can ultimately result in heart failure. Lipitor is more likely to depress your immune system than improve it and even manages to increase your risk of atherosclerosis.
While hurting your body, Lipitor also hurts your wallet in significant way. Omega-3 rich supplements or foods can be purchased without prescription for less than a prescription co-payment of Lipitor. Even though insurance companies pay for most of the bill, prescription companies such as Pfizer continually raise their prices to acquire more funding to make this harmful product. Omega-3 fatty acids are a safer, cheaper, and more natural way to solve health problems than by purchasing an expensive, dangerous little pill.
With drugs that have such setbacks, it is important to realize that there are simpler methods to normalize your cholesterol and move towards a healthier lifestyle.
One effective method to lower your cholesterol is to keep an exercise regimen. By doing so, you can easily lower your insulin levels and lower your risk of heart disease.
Diet is also by far one of the most important methods to lower insulin levels. Unless a person is coping with a genetic defect called familial hypercholesterolemia, an individual’s cholesterol is heightened by a rise in insulin levels.
A rather easy and effective change in your diet would be to detract from sugar and grains. Grains are harmful to your cholesterol because they quickly break down into sugars in the body and heighten insulin your level along with other sugars you ingest. By cutting down on sugar and grains not only do you normalize cholesterol in your body, but you also normalize your weight and blood pressure, as well as heighten your energy levels.
Getting a considerable amount of Omega-3 fatty acids into your body can be beneficial in improving cholesterol, but that’s merely the tip of the iceberg of what if can do for your health. As long as you make sure to find Omega-3 supplements that meet strict purity guidelines, these fatty acids have been known to improve conditions in all parts of the body. They have been known to aid in disorders such as anxiety, depression, and weight gain, along with life threatening conditions such as heart disease, cancer, inflammatory diseases, and diabetes. Omega-3 fatty acids can improve allergies and skin problems such as constant dryness, abundant thick patches, and eczema.
Since Omega-3 fatty acids are naturally required by the body, a lack or imbalance of Omega-3’s can also be detrimental to your health. The dopamine and serotonin receptors in the brain that influence both mood and attention deficit disorders are made up of a certain type of Omega-3 fatty acid known as DHA. If there is a lack of DHA in the blood, the body may use man-made trans-fats (known as hydrogenated oils) to build into some of these receptors, causing these receptors to become seriously deformed. For a child who is still growing, this problem could ultimately cause health problems such as depression and ADD. This is why hydrogenated oils should be avoided. If your body does not have the proper building blocks...it will use what it finds.
Within a child whose brain is still developing, new neural pathways are constantly forming as the child is learning new things. DHA is needed to create delicate neural synapses and if there is a lack in DHA, other types are fats are used, and a child may develop memory problems.
Without a considerable amount of Omega-3 fatty acids in a diet, it is possible to harm a growing mind that needs DHA to build it. The imbalance has a serious effect on moods, memory, and concentration in both children and adults. Omega-3 deficiencies have also been known to be an influence in other conditions such as diabetes, weight gain, heart disease, allergies, arthritis, violence, cancer, inflammatory diseases, and various skin diseases.
Today, it is simple to still find foods that contain significant amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids, but the American diet is almost devoid of them. Rather, we eat excessive amounts of man-made trans-fats that are high in Omega-6 fatty acids, which block our body’s effort to thrive on the few Omega-3’s that it obtains. Though the human brain is made up of more than 60% structural fat, we no longer eat the correct types of fats that we used to, but rather we ingest fats that deflect any helpful substances.
Centuries ago, men who lived as hunters and gatherers had diets rich in Omega-3’s, as they ate grass-fed meat along with fruits and vegetables, and rarely ate any grain. Certain components of their diets such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, and seeds are very good sources of Omega-3’s. (See our Post about Grass-fed meats)
Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in types of high-quality fish or krill oil and in meat that has been raised to eat “free-range,” or grass-fed. Research has shown that wild animals are much healthier to eat than grain-fed animals. Such animals that have diets lacking greens and grasses have significantly low or non-detectable Omega-3 levels, while those that eat only leafy greens and vegetables have considerably high Omega-3 levels and are a much leaner and healthier contribution to one’s diet.
Such meat cannot yet be found in your local grocery store, but it can be ordered online and shipped overnight. It has been predicted that within the next 10 or so years, the population will become more aware and concerned for the need of Omega-3 fatty acids and the production of food will change drastically to meet such requirements. For now, only some companies are taking steps to market Omega-3 rich foods by introducing not only free-range meat, but also tuna and eggs from chickens fed with Omega-3 rich foods. The Gerber baby food company has also begun to formulate foods with more Omega-3’s.
As the pressure rises to increase Omega-3 content in foods, the FDA also has announced that within a few years they will enforce a new rule that will require the trans-fat content of foods. For now, we will have to wait and continue to seek out the purest Omega-3 sources that we can.
The higher the level of this HDL cholesterol, the less the risk a person would have of acquiring a cardiovascular disease. HDL also removes any excess cholesterol from cells within the arteries, protecting against conditions such as atherosclerosis.
In several studies, both the drug and the fish oils successfully decreased plasma triacylglycerols and increased HDL cholesterol levels, but only the Omega-3 fats in the fish oil also affected the rates of the production and molecular breakdown of HDL apolipoproteins.
Not only did Lipitor have no such effect, but it was also found to do more harm than good. Statin drugs such as Lipitor deplete levels of bad LDL cholesterols, but they do nothing to modify the original cause of the rise in such cholesterol. Statin drugs also deplete the body of certain requirements, such as Coenzyme Q10—which can ultimately result in heart failure. Lipitor is more likely to depress your immune system than improve it and even manages to increase your risk of atherosclerosis.
While hurting your body, Lipitor also hurts your wallet in significant way. Omega-3 rich supplements or foods can be purchased without prescription for less than a prescription co-payment of Lipitor. Even though insurance companies pay for most of the bill, prescription companies such as Pfizer continually raise their prices to acquire more funding to make this harmful product. Omega-3 fatty acids are a safer, cheaper, and more natural way to solve health problems than by purchasing an expensive, dangerous little pill.
With drugs that have such setbacks, it is important to realize that there are simpler methods to normalize your cholesterol and move towards a healthier lifestyle.
One effective method to lower your cholesterol is to keep an exercise regimen. By doing so, you can easily lower your insulin levels and lower your risk of heart disease.
Diet is also by far one of the most important methods to lower insulin levels. Unless a person is coping with a genetic defect called familial hypercholesterolemia, an individual’s cholesterol is heightened by a rise in insulin levels.
A rather easy and effective change in your diet would be to detract from sugar and grains. Grains are harmful to your cholesterol because they quickly break down into sugars in the body and heighten insulin your level along with other sugars you ingest. By cutting down on sugar and grains not only do you normalize cholesterol in your body, but you also normalize your weight and blood pressure, as well as heighten your energy levels.
Getting a considerable amount of Omega-3 fatty acids into your body can be beneficial in improving cholesterol, but that’s merely the tip of the iceberg of what if can do for your health. As long as you make sure to find Omega-3 supplements that meet strict purity guidelines, these fatty acids have been known to improve conditions in all parts of the body. They have been known to aid in disorders such as anxiety, depression, and weight gain, along with life threatening conditions such as heart disease, cancer, inflammatory diseases, and diabetes. Omega-3 fatty acids can improve allergies and skin problems such as constant dryness, abundant thick patches, and eczema.
Since Omega-3 fatty acids are naturally required by the body, a lack or imbalance of Omega-3’s can also be detrimental to your health. The dopamine and serotonin receptors in the brain that influence both mood and attention deficit disorders are made up of a certain type of Omega-3 fatty acid known as DHA. If there is a lack of DHA in the blood, the body may use man-made trans-fats (known as hydrogenated oils) to build into some of these receptors, causing these receptors to become seriously deformed. For a child who is still growing, this problem could ultimately cause health problems such as depression and ADD. This is why hydrogenated oils should be avoided. If your body does not have the proper building blocks...it will use what it finds.
Within a child whose brain is still developing, new neural pathways are constantly forming as the child is learning new things. DHA is needed to create delicate neural synapses and if there is a lack in DHA, other types are fats are used, and a child may develop memory problems.
Without a considerable amount of Omega-3 fatty acids in a diet, it is possible to harm a growing mind that needs DHA to build it. The imbalance has a serious effect on moods, memory, and concentration in both children and adults. Omega-3 deficiencies have also been known to be an influence in other conditions such as diabetes, weight gain, heart disease, allergies, arthritis, violence, cancer, inflammatory diseases, and various skin diseases.
Today, it is simple to still find foods that contain significant amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids, but the American diet is almost devoid of them. Rather, we eat excessive amounts of man-made trans-fats that are high in Omega-6 fatty acids, which block our body’s effort to thrive on the few Omega-3’s that it obtains. Though the human brain is made up of more than 60% structural fat, we no longer eat the correct types of fats that we used to, but rather we ingest fats that deflect any helpful substances.
Centuries ago, men who lived as hunters and gatherers had diets rich in Omega-3’s, as they ate grass-fed meat along with fruits and vegetables, and rarely ate any grain. Certain components of their diets such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, and seeds are very good sources of Omega-3’s. (See our Post about Grass-fed meats)
Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in types of high-quality fish or krill oil and in meat that has been raised to eat “free-range,” or grass-fed. Research has shown that wild animals are much healthier to eat than grain-fed animals. Such animals that have diets lacking greens and grasses have significantly low or non-detectable Omega-3 levels, while those that eat only leafy greens and vegetables have considerably high Omega-3 levels and are a much leaner and healthier contribution to one’s diet.
Such meat cannot yet be found in your local grocery store, but it can be ordered online and shipped overnight. It has been predicted that within the next 10 or so years, the population will become more aware and concerned for the need of Omega-3 fatty acids and the production of food will change drastically to meet such requirements. For now, only some companies are taking steps to market Omega-3 rich foods by introducing not only free-range meat, but also tuna and eggs from chickens fed with Omega-3 rich foods. The Gerber baby food company has also begun to formulate foods with more Omega-3’s.
As the pressure rises to increase Omega-3 content in foods, the FDA also has announced that within a few years they will enforce a new rule that will require the trans-fat content of foods. For now, we will have to wait and continue to seek out the purest Omega-3 sources that we can.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Grass Fed Beef in Panama
I just got back from a wonderful trip to Panama. The people are friendly, the temperature constantly hovers in the high 80's...and guess what? All of their beef, yes even at Wendy's, is grass-fed.
At a wonderful steak house we visited, they had Omaha steaks on the menu for $25, but why buy grain-fed beef when for $9.00 you can have a healthier Panamanian grass-fed steak.
Panama is a great place to think about for retirement for many reasons. Visit http://www.retireinpanama.info/ to get more information about why Panama is a great destination.
At a wonderful steak house we visited, they had Omaha steaks on the menu for $25, but why buy grain-fed beef when for $9.00 you can have a healthier Panamanian grass-fed steak.
Panama is a great place to think about for retirement for many reasons. Visit http://www.retireinpanama.info/ to get more information about why Panama is a great destination.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
NutraSweet--Silent Killer
Aspartame (the generic name) or NutraSweet (the brand name) is an innocuous killer that is finding its way into the fabric of many foods. NutraSweet has been linked to leukemia and lymphoma, migraine headaches, seizures, memory loss and even psychotic episodes.
Would you believe that at one time, the Pentagon listed aspartame as a biochemical warfare agent? Who would ever think that it would eventually wind up in our foods, chewing gum, sodas and even some prescription and over the counter meds?
If you are not paying attention to labels, then you and your family are probably consuming aspartame. I would imagine that numerous symptoms that you and your family are suffering from can be attributed to aspartame. In fact, you are probably going to the doctor and getting prescription meds to cover up symptoms created by taking aspartame. This is insane.
You must act now and stop allowing your family to be poisoned by NutraSweet. Read the labels; if it says aspartame or NutraSweet on the label, do not buy it. Make healthy choices. Instead of soda, try water. Instead of gum, try nibbling on some carrots. The choices you make now will affect you and your family for years.
Would you believe that at one time, the Pentagon listed aspartame as a biochemical warfare agent? Who would ever think that it would eventually wind up in our foods, chewing gum, sodas and even some prescription and over the counter meds?
If you are not paying attention to labels, then you and your family are probably consuming aspartame. I would imagine that numerous symptoms that you and your family are suffering from can be attributed to aspartame. In fact, you are probably going to the doctor and getting prescription meds to cover up symptoms created by taking aspartame. This is insane.
You must act now and stop allowing your family to be poisoned by NutraSweet. Read the labels; if it says aspartame or NutraSweet on the label, do not buy it. Make healthy choices. Instead of soda, try water. Instead of gum, try nibbling on some carrots. The choices you make now will affect you and your family for years.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Natural Muscle Spasm Remedy
I am asked all the time about which product is best for chronic muscle spasms. Whether the problem is back spasm, neck spasm or menstrual cramps, my answer is the same. Formula 303 is safe, and the most effective natural muscle relaxant we've seen.
The greatest thing about Formula 303 is that it also helps alleviate the associated anxiety and tension associated with the muscle spasm. Even if your problem is anxiety, stress, insomnia and you don't have muscle spasm, our Maximum Strength Formula 303 containing valerian, passiflora and magnesium carbonate is very effective when taken as directed.
We have now created a combo pack, which contains both our best selling Formula 303 and professional strength CryoDerm Analgesic pain spray. When used together for muscle sprains, bursitis and back pain or neck pain, you get the best possible natural home remedy available.
The greatest thing about Formula 303 is that it also helps alleviate the associated anxiety and tension associated with the muscle spasm. Even if your problem is anxiety, stress, insomnia and you don't have muscle spasm, our Maximum Strength Formula 303 containing valerian, passiflora and magnesium carbonate is very effective when taken as directed.
We have now created a combo pack, which contains both our best selling Formula 303 and professional strength CryoDerm Analgesic pain spray. When used together for muscle sprains, bursitis and back pain or neck pain, you get the best possible natural home remedy available.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Importance of Grass-fed Meats
Most of the following information was taken from a newsletter written by Ted Slanker.
Scientists have proven that all chronic diseases can be traced to the imbalances of essential Omega-6 fatty acids compared to Omega-3 fatty acids in the membranes of an animal body’s cells. For all of time the O6 to O3 ratio hovered around one to one because the foundation food of the Hunter Gatherer’s food supply was the green leafy plant. Man’s invention of grain farming changed all that. Today people skew their fatty acid balances by eating grains, grain-based foods, and grain-fed livestock products (grains are high in Omega-6 fatty acids and deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids). This skewing of the fatty acid balances in man away from God’s given plan for one to one, to what today the scientific community estimates to be between 20:1 to 30:1, is what causes cells in a body (bone cells, brain cells, muscle cells, skin cells, etc., etc.) to misfire in their function over time resulting in body failure. Body failures include obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, allergies, autoimmune diseases, osteoporosis, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson's disease, and the list goes on and on.
Prior to his invention of grain farming, grain (the seed head of grasses, mostly annual grasses) was never an abundant and readily available food for man or beast. Grain was highly seasonal and most of what would have been grain was consumed by grazing livestock while it was in the green shoot stage. "So," you might ask, "if grain was not a food, what was?"
Since the very beginning of animal life, in the sea or on land, the foundation food has been the green leafy plant; not the cured seeds of grasses. Therefore, unless the people who are analyzed in nutritional studies eat properly, many of the observed markers for chronic diseases are associated events that indicate body failures are imminent rather than the actual root causes of the failure. For that reason, when scientists publish, invent, and prescribe cures for the associated events they have observed, in most cases they are grappling with a symptom instead of the cause.
Every anthropologist in the business will tell you that prior to man’s invention of grain farming he ate virtually everything he could catch; even grasshoppers, snakes, armadillos, and rats. (In some regions of the world people still regularly eat with relish what Americans arrogantly consider disgusting fare.) Killing bigger game meant he could feast for days and enjoy considerable leisure time. So, man really focused on big game. As a hunter-gatherer man also ate the leaves of green leafy plants, vegetables, some fruit, some nuts, some wild fish, and even some honey once and a while. But grains (the seed heads of annual grasses) were very rare since they were seasonal and, unless protected from grazing livestock who liked to graze grass fruit (grain) shoots when they were still green and before they had become dried out seeds, very difficult to gather in quantity. This was the diet of man for literally millions of years before he invented grain farming between 4,000 and 10,000 years ago depending on which region of the world he lived. Consequently, in God’s plan grain was never a primary food for man nor beast. It was man’s idea to change the plan.
In spite of scientific facts that are readily available to all who seek the truth, folks like John Robbins can spread their untruths and be praised like gurus. They get away with their shenanigans because their readers are poorly grounded in mathematics and the sciences which prevents them from realizing they are being scammed.
Here is a real life for instance.
Some people believe that if cattle are continuously grazed in large pastures, that means their meats will be inferior compared to cattle rotated through many pastures. Of course this is absolute nonsense, but the "beautiful people" don’t know that. But in order for you to know the real story, here are the scientific facts.
Continuous grazing versus rotational grazing has everything to do with a rancher’s economics (his ability to compete with New Zealand ranchers), very little to do with the eating experience of the meats produced. Unbeknownst to all except students of grazing management, continuous grazing studies usually result in greater daily gains per animal. This may actually produce a better eating experience! Rotational grazing studies result in greater total pounds of gain produced per acre.
Under continuous grazing pasture "management" is left up to the livestock. This lowers pasture utilization because livestock "cherry pick" the pastures. Consequently stocking rates are lower than with management intensive grazing practices. Ranchers who manage their pastures with rotational grazing practices have significantly greater stock densities. Their critters mow down a pasture and are moved frequently (often daily) and the "mowed" pastures have a rest period of 24 to 36 days on average. Which system is better for the livestock is debatable, especially since livestock gain better on continuously grazed systems. On the other hand, livestock love moving to fresh pastures when they get the hang of it.
As you may now imagine it is absolutely ridiculous for a consumer to be concerned about which grazing method is employed to raise his T-Bone steaks. Yet some folks have the notion that rotational grazing is mandatory for a good steak and a happy steer. For sure, if we are to compete in the production of grass-fed meats with countries like New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Costa Rica and scores of other counties large and small, then American ranchers must utilize rotational grazing methods.
How Could It Be?
Now you may wonder, how could it be that there is so much knowledge in the world yet so many people are so naive? The answer is people have become too specialized. They are so specialized that even the most sophisticated scientific types know next to nothing regarding anything outside their specialty. For instance a rocket scientist specializing in propulsion may know nothing about flight stability. The fellow who puts up sheet rock in a new house doesn’t know how to install plumbing, wiring, or kitchen cabinets. A fellow on the production line at General Motors who puts on fenders, can’t install headlights. I know for a fact that beef cattle specialists at Texas A&M can’t answer questions regarding forages! And I know that a few years ago most of the nutritional scientists working on fatty acids and real foods did not realize that the meats they had proven were best for our health were readily available in the form of domestic livestock that had only grazed pastures. As you can imagine this list of specialists who know everything there is to know about their particular fields of endeavor, yet are incredibly naive regarding virtually every other aspect of life, can go on forever.
Combine specialization, little interest in science and mathematics generally, and the average Americans disconnect with nature (especially the growing and harvesting of fruits, vegetables, and livestock) and you have a nation of people who know nothing about the world they live in. These people can easily starve to death in an environment their ancestors would have called bountiful. Of course most Americans never give all this a thought. Instead they trust in an artificial environment and believe it’s artificial foods will properly sustain their earthly bodies.
Amazingly, today most Americans are afraid to eat real foods! It would blow your mind if I were to list all the various reasons, phobias, concerns, religious taboos, and myths people have for not buying our meats. Yet the same people who can come up with all the excuses for not eating real food readily suck down concocted foods, fast foods, drugs, supplements, various drinks, grain and grain based foods, and what have you without a second thought. Is our country’s leadership to blame. Is it because of Big Business? Or are Americans too lazy, too arrogant, and too ignorant?
Every individual’s capacity to learn knows no limits unless he imposes those limits on himself by refusing to spend the time and energy required to ask good questions and seek good answers. We are all students of life and today there is far more to learn than ever before. Consequently we will never know it all. That means we must remain humble students until the day we die.
Big Nutritional Changes in Recent History
The domestication of livestock for food occurred very recently in time. In most regions of the world it coincided with grain and vegetable farming, which commenced, in most cases, anywhere from 10,000 to 4,000 years ago depending on the region of the world one studies. Yet as recently as the Twentieth Century there were still small isolated pockets of people here and there who were still Hunter Gatherers. But the Peace Corp, missionaries, and others driven to do good deeds have worked rapidly to eliminate these few remaining pockets of healthy people by teaching them "modern" grain farming methods to improve their food supplies. For these unfortunate late comers to modern civilization the changes in their foods have been abrupt to the extreme.
Here in the United States we have also experienced significant changes in our foods in a matter of a very few decades. For the most part the residents of the first permanent settlements (circa 1600) in what is now the United States had to live off the land. Sure they had brought with them their livestock and seeds for gardens, but hunting, fishing, and the gathering and cultivation of wild indigenous vegetables and fruits were vital and significant food sources. In 1800 about 95% of the U.S. population was still considered rural and farming (at a very minimum gardening) was nearly everyone’s business. By 1920 though the rural population of the country had dropped to about 50% and in the 1970s it had dropped to 25%, which is about where it is today.
In the 1960s, even though urban numbers had risen significantly, it was not uncommon for city dwellers to still have vegetable gardens and fruit trees. But now a garden in any town, much less a city, is a rarity. Shockingly farmers too are a rarity with only one percent of our nation’s population making a living off the land. But most shocking of all is the fact that most of the folks who make their living by ranching and farming do not raise their own food. They go to town and purchase most if not all of their foodstuffs!
Fast and Furious
The first major change in our country's foods commenced in the 1800s with the creation of the first modern and commercial cereal foods by the Seventh-day Adventists who were strict vegetarians. The Adventists formed the Western Health Reform Institute in the 1860s. The Institute was later renamed the Battle Creek Sanitarium after its location in Battle Creek, Michigan. The Adventists manufactured, promoted, and sold cereals. Common cereals are: wheat, rice, rye, oats, barley, corn (maize), and sorghum.
In 1894, W.K. Kellogg was trying to improve the vegetarian diet of hospital patients. He was searching for a digestible bread substitute using the process of boiling wheat. Kellogg accidentally left a pot of boiled wheat to stand and the wheat became tempered (soften). When Kellogg rolled the tempered or softened wheat and let it dry, each grain of wheat emerged as a large thin flake. The flakes turned out to be a tasty cereal. In the years that followed cereal production and the varieties of cereals soared. Even Wall Street got into the act and there was a cereal stock mania in the early 1920s! By the time 1950 rolled around "breakfast" cereal was a mainstay of the American diet.
The changes in our foods really came fast and furious after WWII; so fast that by the late 1950s people were already speculating on how long it would be before everyone would simply suck down a paste squeezed from a tube (like an astronaut) that would contain all the ingredients for a healthy body. That kind of thinking is more prevalent today as can be noted by all the attention consumers give to concocted foods, preserved foods, convenience foods, snacks, drinks, fast foods, and supplements. Obviously folks don’t realize that the complexity of the nutrient makeup and mix required by all living animals goes well beyond the most sophisticated analysis to date. That means there is no such thing as a tube of gunk we can eat on the run that will provide exactly what our bodies require for optimal health. And there is no way to calculate what supplements one needs to make up for what he is or is not eating. Yet nearly everyone in America believes just the opposite.
Scientists have conclusively proven, and commonsense supports, that the foods all animals require for optimal health and vitality are the same foods they always ate before man started changing the natural way with modern agricultural concepts, mechanization, and chemical concoctions. As I have stated over and over again in previous letters and this one, the biggest change in man’s food was when he invented grain farming. And it makes sense too. No other form of agriculture, except maybe dairying, is more unnatural.
To grow grain, man plants grass seed and protect the grass plants from grazing critters. He allows the grasses to fully mature, flower, and produce the maximum number of cured seeds. Then after the grass dies he chops down the grass to collect its cured seeds, stores the seeds, and consumes them throughout the year. This never occurred in nature prior to man’s intervention.
Yes, whenever and wherever grain farming first commenced it caused a drastic change in man’s nutritional intake. But in most cases grain farming merely supplemented man’s other natural foodstuffs so its impact was minimized. Then in more modern times technological advances greatly increased grain production and its uses and consequently grain consumption. With the advent of modern machinery, superior fertilization, improved grass species, extensive storage facilities, and highly efficient transportation systems man has been able to greatly increase grain production to levels never before imagined by farmers of just three generations ago.
Grain-Feeding America’s Livestock
The first self-propelled grain combines (machines that harvest grain) were introduced during World War II and they enabled U.S. farmers to produce substantially more grain than the nation’s population could consume. So the farmers started feeding it to their livestock to add value to their livestock production, not as an exception, but as the rule. Feedlots were invented and that created a whole new form of livestock production. (The first commercial feedlot in Texas was started in 1950!) Consequently, the supply of grain-fed cattle soared. By 1955 it had shot up to 7.4 billion pounds. It reached 22.8 billion pounds in 2004 while the non-fed beef supply fell from 5.7 billion pounds in 1955 to 3.6 billion pounds today. (Today’s non-fed beef supply comes mainly from old cull cows and cull bulls that are made into ground beef mostly for the school lunch program and a whole host of processed meat products such as sausages, canned meats, etc.)
In the late 1950s the poultry industry started moving the chickens out of the pastures, where they had grazed while being fed grain, into huge buildings where they were fed only grain. Now instead of taking three months or more to raise a fryer, it takes seven weeks. During the 1960s the dairy industry evolved away from the small 25-cow, pastured-based dairies to huge operations with 1,000 or more cows housed in feedlot conditions being fed grain and alfalfa. Milk production per cow soared. By the 1970s the pork industry followed suit by moving sows indoors where they were fed grain and turned into living machines that mass produced more live pigs than ever before. The piglets are weaned at 30 days and are fed more grain so they grow exceptionally fast to produce more pork than ever before imagined from a sow.
If we step back 100 years we’d discover that nearly all of the beef sold in America was grass-fed. Folks let their chickens and pigs range freely and for the most part those critters had to fend for themselves like their wild counterparts. Consequently fried chicken and chicken and dumplings were considered luxurious cuisine in the good old days.
Fat Animals, Fat People
By looking at old photographs and movies we can see how people changed along with their foods. In the 1950s most actors, and even the people hired to play minor roles in the background, were thin. (They were also always nicely dressed.) Go back 100 years to old flicks and pictures, and you have to search hard and long to find obese people. But not today. Fat people are the norm.
We can really see glaring examples of this in the agricultural community. One-hundred-year-old pictures of farmers and ranchers nearly always showed skinny people. Today most of the farmers and ranchers are as fat, or fatter, than their show animals. Pick up an agricultural publication sometime. Many of the people in the pictures are grotesquely fat. Nearly all are overweight.
Lots of folks believe that the primary reason for these differences in "body styles" is that people did more physical labor back then. For a fact they were more physical, but by a long shot diet plays a larger role in obesity and chronic disease than does exercise. I’m proof positive. I’ve always worked physically. But before I learned about the differences between real food and concocted food I was always gaining weight a little each year. Every once and awhile I’d interrupt the upward spiral with a Sunday Supplement crash diet. But I kept gaining and eventually reached 193 pounds. After I changed my diet to real foods and started eating MORE FOOD my weight dropped. Now I’m 152 pounds. That’s not bad for being 5' 10.5" tall. I lost that weight not by working out but by eating different foods. I do not run, go to the gym, do calisthenics, etc. I just keep active working on the ranch like I’ve being doing for decades.
Why are the people who eat the Hunter Gatherer diet (Best and Worst Foods) fit and trim? Primarily it’s because their cell membranes have the same essential fat ratios as the green leafy plant. Their vitamin levels and other nutrients for optimal health and body function are perfect. Peer reviewed, professionally published reports of controlled studies of laboratory animals show that incidences of chronic disease (including obesity) accelerates dramatically as the ratio of Omega-6 fatty acids to Omega-3 fatty acids in the membranes of their bodies’ cells moves higher than 4:1. This is quite disturbing when we note that nutritional scientists estimate that the ratio for the average American is somewhere between 20:1 and 30:1 and the optimal ratio is 1:1.
Omega6 to Omega3 Ratio
When the ratio of Omega 6 to Omega3 fatty acids exceeds 4:1 in the membranes of a body’s cells, over time the cells start "misfiring." The misfiring cells result in body failure. All body failures are called Chronic Diseases and 70% of all deaths in our country are caused by Chronic Disease. Most other deaths are from various causes and virtually no one in America dies of natural causes. (See http://www.cdc.gov/ for more statistics regarding death and disease.)
Grains skew the fatty acid ratios of cell membranes away from the ideal balance of 1:1. The reason is grains are mostly Omega-6 sources. For instance wheat’s ratio is around 9:1, rice is around 30:1, and corn is around 59:1. Grain-fed beef is about 15:1. Grain-fed skinless chicken breasts are 18:1. Grain-fed chicken eggs are 20:1. Compare those ratios with grass-fed meats and grass-fed eggs that hover around 1:1.
Yes, even in modern times foods have changed dramatically within just a few years. Of course our body’s nutritional requirements can’t possibly change that fast. In fact it may take literally hundreds of thousands of years for our bodies to evolve and adapt to even a minor change in the nutrient stream that’s required for optimal body function.
For Grass-fed meat information, we recommend visiting Organic Grass Fed Beef.
Scientists have proven that all chronic diseases can be traced to the imbalances of essential Omega-6 fatty acids compared to Omega-3 fatty acids in the membranes of an animal body’s cells. For all of time the O6 to O3 ratio hovered around one to one because the foundation food of the Hunter Gatherer’s food supply was the green leafy plant. Man’s invention of grain farming changed all that. Today people skew their fatty acid balances by eating grains, grain-based foods, and grain-fed livestock products (grains are high in Omega-6 fatty acids and deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids). This skewing of the fatty acid balances in man away from God’s given plan for one to one, to what today the scientific community estimates to be between 20:1 to 30:1, is what causes cells in a body (bone cells, brain cells, muscle cells, skin cells, etc., etc.) to misfire in their function over time resulting in body failure. Body failures include obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, allergies, autoimmune diseases, osteoporosis, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson's disease, and the list goes on and on.
Prior to his invention of grain farming, grain (the seed head of grasses, mostly annual grasses) was never an abundant and readily available food for man or beast. Grain was highly seasonal and most of what would have been grain was consumed by grazing livestock while it was in the green shoot stage. "So," you might ask, "if grain was not a food, what was?"
Since the very beginning of animal life, in the sea or on land, the foundation food has been the green leafy plant; not the cured seeds of grasses. Therefore, unless the people who are analyzed in nutritional studies eat properly, many of the observed markers for chronic diseases are associated events that indicate body failures are imminent rather than the actual root causes of the failure. For that reason, when scientists publish, invent, and prescribe cures for the associated events they have observed, in most cases they are grappling with a symptom instead of the cause.
Every anthropologist in the business will tell you that prior to man’s invention of grain farming he ate virtually everything he could catch; even grasshoppers, snakes, armadillos, and rats. (In some regions of the world people still regularly eat with relish what Americans arrogantly consider disgusting fare.) Killing bigger game meant he could feast for days and enjoy considerable leisure time. So, man really focused on big game. As a hunter-gatherer man also ate the leaves of green leafy plants, vegetables, some fruit, some nuts, some wild fish, and even some honey once and a while. But grains (the seed heads of annual grasses) were very rare since they were seasonal and, unless protected from grazing livestock who liked to graze grass fruit (grain) shoots when they were still green and before they had become dried out seeds, very difficult to gather in quantity. This was the diet of man for literally millions of years before he invented grain farming between 4,000 and 10,000 years ago depending on which region of the world he lived. Consequently, in God’s plan grain was never a primary food for man nor beast. It was man’s idea to change the plan.
In spite of scientific facts that are readily available to all who seek the truth, folks like John Robbins can spread their untruths and be praised like gurus. They get away with their shenanigans because their readers are poorly grounded in mathematics and the sciences which prevents them from realizing they are being scammed.
Here is a real life for instance.
Some people believe that if cattle are continuously grazed in large pastures, that means their meats will be inferior compared to cattle rotated through many pastures. Of course this is absolute nonsense, but the "beautiful people" don’t know that. But in order for you to know the real story, here are the scientific facts.
Continuous grazing versus rotational grazing has everything to do with a rancher’s economics (his ability to compete with New Zealand ranchers), very little to do with the eating experience of the meats produced. Unbeknownst to all except students of grazing management, continuous grazing studies usually result in greater daily gains per animal. This may actually produce a better eating experience! Rotational grazing studies result in greater total pounds of gain produced per acre.
Under continuous grazing pasture "management" is left up to the livestock. This lowers pasture utilization because livestock "cherry pick" the pastures. Consequently stocking rates are lower than with management intensive grazing practices. Ranchers who manage their pastures with rotational grazing practices have significantly greater stock densities. Their critters mow down a pasture and are moved frequently (often daily) and the "mowed" pastures have a rest period of 24 to 36 days on average. Which system is better for the livestock is debatable, especially since livestock gain better on continuously grazed systems. On the other hand, livestock love moving to fresh pastures when they get the hang of it.
As you may now imagine it is absolutely ridiculous for a consumer to be concerned about which grazing method is employed to raise his T-Bone steaks. Yet some folks have the notion that rotational grazing is mandatory for a good steak and a happy steer. For sure, if we are to compete in the production of grass-fed meats with countries like New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Costa Rica and scores of other counties large and small, then American ranchers must utilize rotational grazing methods.
How Could It Be?
Now you may wonder, how could it be that there is so much knowledge in the world yet so many people are so naive? The answer is people have become too specialized. They are so specialized that even the most sophisticated scientific types know next to nothing regarding anything outside their specialty. For instance a rocket scientist specializing in propulsion may know nothing about flight stability. The fellow who puts up sheet rock in a new house doesn’t know how to install plumbing, wiring, or kitchen cabinets. A fellow on the production line at General Motors who puts on fenders, can’t install headlights. I know for a fact that beef cattle specialists at Texas A&M can’t answer questions regarding forages! And I know that a few years ago most of the nutritional scientists working on fatty acids and real foods did not realize that the meats they had proven were best for our health were readily available in the form of domestic livestock that had only grazed pastures. As you can imagine this list of specialists who know everything there is to know about their particular fields of endeavor, yet are incredibly naive regarding virtually every other aspect of life, can go on forever.
Combine specialization, little interest in science and mathematics generally, and the average Americans disconnect with nature (especially the growing and harvesting of fruits, vegetables, and livestock) and you have a nation of people who know nothing about the world they live in. These people can easily starve to death in an environment their ancestors would have called bountiful. Of course most Americans never give all this a thought. Instead they trust in an artificial environment and believe it’s artificial foods will properly sustain their earthly bodies.
Amazingly, today most Americans are afraid to eat real foods! It would blow your mind if I were to list all the various reasons, phobias, concerns, religious taboos, and myths people have for not buying our meats. Yet the same people who can come up with all the excuses for not eating real food readily suck down concocted foods, fast foods, drugs, supplements, various drinks, grain and grain based foods, and what have you without a second thought. Is our country’s leadership to blame. Is it because of Big Business? Or are Americans too lazy, too arrogant, and too ignorant?
Every individual’s capacity to learn knows no limits unless he imposes those limits on himself by refusing to spend the time and energy required to ask good questions and seek good answers. We are all students of life and today there is far more to learn than ever before. Consequently we will never know it all. That means we must remain humble students until the day we die.
Big Nutritional Changes in Recent History
The domestication of livestock for food occurred very recently in time. In most regions of the world it coincided with grain and vegetable farming, which commenced, in most cases, anywhere from 10,000 to 4,000 years ago depending on the region of the world one studies. Yet as recently as the Twentieth Century there were still small isolated pockets of people here and there who were still Hunter Gatherers. But the Peace Corp, missionaries, and others driven to do good deeds have worked rapidly to eliminate these few remaining pockets of healthy people by teaching them "modern" grain farming methods to improve their food supplies. For these unfortunate late comers to modern civilization the changes in their foods have been abrupt to the extreme.
Here in the United States we have also experienced significant changes in our foods in a matter of a very few decades. For the most part the residents of the first permanent settlements (circa 1600) in what is now the United States had to live off the land. Sure they had brought with them their livestock and seeds for gardens, but hunting, fishing, and the gathering and cultivation of wild indigenous vegetables and fruits were vital and significant food sources. In 1800 about 95% of the U.S. population was still considered rural and farming (at a very minimum gardening) was nearly everyone’s business. By 1920 though the rural population of the country had dropped to about 50% and in the 1970s it had dropped to 25%, which is about where it is today.
In the 1960s, even though urban numbers had risen significantly, it was not uncommon for city dwellers to still have vegetable gardens and fruit trees. But now a garden in any town, much less a city, is a rarity. Shockingly farmers too are a rarity with only one percent of our nation’s population making a living off the land. But most shocking of all is the fact that most of the folks who make their living by ranching and farming do not raise their own food. They go to town and purchase most if not all of their foodstuffs!
Fast and Furious
The first major change in our country's foods commenced in the 1800s with the creation of the first modern and commercial cereal foods by the Seventh-day Adventists who were strict vegetarians. The Adventists formed the Western Health Reform Institute in the 1860s. The Institute was later renamed the Battle Creek Sanitarium after its location in Battle Creek, Michigan. The Adventists manufactured, promoted, and sold cereals. Common cereals are: wheat, rice, rye, oats, barley, corn (maize), and sorghum.
In 1894, W.K. Kellogg was trying to improve the vegetarian diet of hospital patients. He was searching for a digestible bread substitute using the process of boiling wheat. Kellogg accidentally left a pot of boiled wheat to stand and the wheat became tempered (soften). When Kellogg rolled the tempered or softened wheat and let it dry, each grain of wheat emerged as a large thin flake. The flakes turned out to be a tasty cereal. In the years that followed cereal production and the varieties of cereals soared. Even Wall Street got into the act and there was a cereal stock mania in the early 1920s! By the time 1950 rolled around "breakfast" cereal was a mainstay of the American diet.
The changes in our foods really came fast and furious after WWII; so fast that by the late 1950s people were already speculating on how long it would be before everyone would simply suck down a paste squeezed from a tube (like an astronaut) that would contain all the ingredients for a healthy body. That kind of thinking is more prevalent today as can be noted by all the attention consumers give to concocted foods, preserved foods, convenience foods, snacks, drinks, fast foods, and supplements. Obviously folks don’t realize that the complexity of the nutrient makeup and mix required by all living animals goes well beyond the most sophisticated analysis to date. That means there is no such thing as a tube of gunk we can eat on the run that will provide exactly what our bodies require for optimal health. And there is no way to calculate what supplements one needs to make up for what he is or is not eating. Yet nearly everyone in America believes just the opposite.
Scientists have conclusively proven, and commonsense supports, that the foods all animals require for optimal health and vitality are the same foods they always ate before man started changing the natural way with modern agricultural concepts, mechanization, and chemical concoctions. As I have stated over and over again in previous letters and this one, the biggest change in man’s food was when he invented grain farming. And it makes sense too. No other form of agriculture, except maybe dairying, is more unnatural.
To grow grain, man plants grass seed and protect the grass plants from grazing critters. He allows the grasses to fully mature, flower, and produce the maximum number of cured seeds. Then after the grass dies he chops down the grass to collect its cured seeds, stores the seeds, and consumes them throughout the year. This never occurred in nature prior to man’s intervention.
Yes, whenever and wherever grain farming first commenced it caused a drastic change in man’s nutritional intake. But in most cases grain farming merely supplemented man’s other natural foodstuffs so its impact was minimized. Then in more modern times technological advances greatly increased grain production and its uses and consequently grain consumption. With the advent of modern machinery, superior fertilization, improved grass species, extensive storage facilities, and highly efficient transportation systems man has been able to greatly increase grain production to levels never before imagined by farmers of just three generations ago.
Grain-Feeding America’s Livestock
The first self-propelled grain combines (machines that harvest grain) were introduced during World War II and they enabled U.S. farmers to produce substantially more grain than the nation’s population could consume. So the farmers started feeding it to their livestock to add value to their livestock production, not as an exception, but as the rule. Feedlots were invented and that created a whole new form of livestock production. (The first commercial feedlot in Texas was started in 1950!) Consequently, the supply of grain-fed cattle soared. By 1955 it had shot up to 7.4 billion pounds. It reached 22.8 billion pounds in 2004 while the non-fed beef supply fell from 5.7 billion pounds in 1955 to 3.6 billion pounds today. (Today’s non-fed beef supply comes mainly from old cull cows and cull bulls that are made into ground beef mostly for the school lunch program and a whole host of processed meat products such as sausages, canned meats, etc.)
In the late 1950s the poultry industry started moving the chickens out of the pastures, where they had grazed while being fed grain, into huge buildings where they were fed only grain. Now instead of taking three months or more to raise a fryer, it takes seven weeks. During the 1960s the dairy industry evolved away from the small 25-cow, pastured-based dairies to huge operations with 1,000 or more cows housed in feedlot conditions being fed grain and alfalfa. Milk production per cow soared. By the 1970s the pork industry followed suit by moving sows indoors where they were fed grain and turned into living machines that mass produced more live pigs than ever before. The piglets are weaned at 30 days and are fed more grain so they grow exceptionally fast to produce more pork than ever before imagined from a sow.
If we step back 100 years we’d discover that nearly all of the beef sold in America was grass-fed. Folks let their chickens and pigs range freely and for the most part those critters had to fend for themselves like their wild counterparts. Consequently fried chicken and chicken and dumplings were considered luxurious cuisine in the good old days.
Fat Animals, Fat People
By looking at old photographs and movies we can see how people changed along with their foods. In the 1950s most actors, and even the people hired to play minor roles in the background, were thin. (They were also always nicely dressed.) Go back 100 years to old flicks and pictures, and you have to search hard and long to find obese people. But not today. Fat people are the norm.
We can really see glaring examples of this in the agricultural community. One-hundred-year-old pictures of farmers and ranchers nearly always showed skinny people. Today most of the farmers and ranchers are as fat, or fatter, than their show animals. Pick up an agricultural publication sometime. Many of the people in the pictures are grotesquely fat. Nearly all are overweight.
Lots of folks believe that the primary reason for these differences in "body styles" is that people did more physical labor back then. For a fact they were more physical, but by a long shot diet plays a larger role in obesity and chronic disease than does exercise. I’m proof positive. I’ve always worked physically. But before I learned about the differences between real food and concocted food I was always gaining weight a little each year. Every once and awhile I’d interrupt the upward spiral with a Sunday Supplement crash diet. But I kept gaining and eventually reached 193 pounds. After I changed my diet to real foods and started eating MORE FOOD my weight dropped. Now I’m 152 pounds. That’s not bad for being 5' 10.5" tall. I lost that weight not by working out but by eating different foods. I do not run, go to the gym, do calisthenics, etc. I just keep active working on the ranch like I’ve being doing for decades.
Why are the people who eat the Hunter Gatherer diet (Best and Worst Foods) fit and trim? Primarily it’s because their cell membranes have the same essential fat ratios as the green leafy plant. Their vitamin levels and other nutrients for optimal health and body function are perfect. Peer reviewed, professionally published reports of controlled studies of laboratory animals show that incidences of chronic disease (including obesity) accelerates dramatically as the ratio of Omega-6 fatty acids to Omega-3 fatty acids in the membranes of their bodies’ cells moves higher than 4:1. This is quite disturbing when we note that nutritional scientists estimate that the ratio for the average American is somewhere between 20:1 and 30:1 and the optimal ratio is 1:1.
Omega6 to Omega3 Ratio
When the ratio of Omega 6 to Omega3 fatty acids exceeds 4:1 in the membranes of a body’s cells, over time the cells start "misfiring." The misfiring cells result in body failure. All body failures are called Chronic Diseases and 70% of all deaths in our country are caused by Chronic Disease. Most other deaths are from various causes and virtually no one in America dies of natural causes. (See http://www.cdc.gov/ for more statistics regarding death and disease.)
Grains skew the fatty acid ratios of cell membranes away from the ideal balance of 1:1. The reason is grains are mostly Omega-6 sources. For instance wheat’s ratio is around 9:1, rice is around 30:1, and corn is around 59:1. Grain-fed beef is about 15:1. Grain-fed skinless chicken breasts are 18:1. Grain-fed chicken eggs are 20:1. Compare those ratios with grass-fed meats and grass-fed eggs that hover around 1:1.
Yes, even in modern times foods have changed dramatically within just a few years. Of course our body’s nutritional requirements can’t possibly change that fast. In fact it may take literally hundreds of thousands of years for our bodies to evolve and adapt to even a minor change in the nutrient stream that’s required for optimal body function.
For Grass-fed meat information, we recommend visiting Organic Grass Fed Beef.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Eat Like an American, Die Like an American!
Recently, there was an article discussing the fact that our friends the British are much healthier than us, even though we spend twice what they do on healthcare. Critics of America immediately jumped on the bandwagon and declared how unfair our healthcare system. They ranted and raved about the fact that there are millions without healthcare.
Let's not forget, that the poor in this country have all the "free" healthcare they want. Free is capitalized, because obviously, it's only free to them...Someone (us) is paying for it.
But all this aside, it is not the amount spent on health care that is creating the discrepancy. Health care is actually a misnomer, as it is really sick care. No, the problem is not dollars spent on "sick care", the problem simply boils down to America's choices.
We choose to eat and drink the way we do. It is our choices that is killing us. Simply put, our choices are making us sick.
Most of us consume huge amounts of beer, soda, fake juice, milk, etc., and rarely drink a full glass of water. Do you think our Paleolithic (cave man) ancestors drank soda? Of course not, they drank ONLY water.
Most of us rarely eat the proper amount of fruits and vegetables; we consume huge amounts of processed grain foods soaked cooked the wrong kind of oil or meat that has been raised on a grain diet.
We consume more food than we need and exercise less than we should. Most of us are nutrient deficient and toxic from all of the chemicals we breath, drink, put on our skin or eat.
Think about it and start making some healthy choices. Let's not blame our health on insurance or lack of it.
Let's not forget, that the poor in this country have all the "free" healthcare they want. Free is capitalized, because obviously, it's only free to them...Someone (us) is paying for it.
But all this aside, it is not the amount spent on health care that is creating the discrepancy. Health care is actually a misnomer, as it is really sick care. No, the problem is not dollars spent on "sick care", the problem simply boils down to America's choices.
We choose to eat and drink the way we do. It is our choices that is killing us. Simply put, our choices are making us sick.
Most of us consume huge amounts of beer, soda, fake juice, milk, etc., and rarely drink a full glass of water. Do you think our Paleolithic (cave man) ancestors drank soda? Of course not, they drank ONLY water.
Most of us rarely eat the proper amount of fruits and vegetables; we consume huge amounts of processed grain foods soaked cooked the wrong kind of oil or meat that has been raised on a grain diet.
We consume more food than we need and exercise less than we should. Most of us are nutrient deficient and toxic from all of the chemicals we breath, drink, put on our skin or eat.
Think about it and start making some healthy choices. Let's not blame our health on insurance or lack of it.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Diabetes Kills 3 Million People Each Year
Diabetes is causing 3.2 million deaths per year worldwide, a figure three times higher than previous estimates, according to the World Health Organization. There were 171 million cases of diabetes worldwide in 2000, a figure expected to rise to 366 million by 2030. In developing countries, at least one in ten deaths in adults aged 35 to 64 is attributable to diabetes.
Diabetes is a major cause of premature illness and death in most countries, mainly through the increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The disease can be combated by healthy diet and physical activity, often combined with medication. Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 90 percent of all cases, can often be prevented through lifestyle interventions including proper supplementation. Visit Natural Diabetic Remedies for more specific information about different supplements to help with Type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes May Shorten Lifespan
Canadian researchers have found diabetics die up to 13 years sooner than people without the disease. This travesty could be avoided with proper nutrition and supplementation. The University of Toronto team says diabetic males in Ontario live 64.7 years on average, compared to 77.5 years in the general male population. Diabetic females live an average of 70.7 years, compared to 82.9 years for all females. A sad fact when much of the premature death is avoidable.
Diabetics Neglect Own Health
Less than 12 percent of people with diagnosed diabetes meet their recommended treatment goals, according to Washington's American Medical Association. More diabetics are taking medicine for high blood pressure and cholesterol than for controlling their diabetes. Unfortunately, too few are making needed lifestyle changes such as exercising, lowering dietary fat, and losing weight to control the risk factors for diabetes complications.
Cinnamon May Cut Blood Sugar Levels
A half teaspoon of cinnamon a day can reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics, according to a study by the Department of Agriculture in Beltsville, Md. In a study published in Diabetes Care, volunteers taking cinnamon also had lowered blood levels of fats and "bad" cholesterol, which are also partly controlled by insulin.
It is obviously not advisable to increase the consumption of cinnamon buns or apple pie because they are high in fat and sugar. Probably the best way to assure daily dosage with cinnamon is with supplementation. Cinnamon Bark Capsules. In addition, soaking a cinnamon stick in a cup of tea or sprinkling some cinnamon on cereal could be beneficial. In addition, natural diabetes supplement is Vaxa Diabin.
The active ingredient in cinnamon that lowers blood sugar is the water-soluble polyphenol compound called MHCP which mimics insulin, activates its receptor and works synergistically with insulin in cells.
Read Here for More Natural Diabetes Information...
Diabetes is a major cause of premature illness and death in most countries, mainly through the increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The disease can be combated by healthy diet and physical activity, often combined with medication. Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 90 percent of all cases, can often be prevented through lifestyle interventions including proper supplementation. Visit Natural Diabetic Remedies for more specific information about different supplements to help with Type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes May Shorten Lifespan
Canadian researchers have found diabetics die up to 13 years sooner than people without the disease. This travesty could be avoided with proper nutrition and supplementation. The University of Toronto team says diabetic males in Ontario live 64.7 years on average, compared to 77.5 years in the general male population. Diabetic females live an average of 70.7 years, compared to 82.9 years for all females. A sad fact when much of the premature death is avoidable.
Diabetics Neglect Own Health
Less than 12 percent of people with diagnosed diabetes meet their recommended treatment goals, according to Washington's American Medical Association. More diabetics are taking medicine for high blood pressure and cholesterol than for controlling their diabetes. Unfortunately, too few are making needed lifestyle changes such as exercising, lowering dietary fat, and losing weight to control the risk factors for diabetes complications.
Cinnamon May Cut Blood Sugar Levels
A half teaspoon of cinnamon a day can reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics, according to a study by the Department of Agriculture in Beltsville, Md. In a study published in Diabetes Care, volunteers taking cinnamon also had lowered blood levels of fats and "bad" cholesterol, which are also partly controlled by insulin.
It is obviously not advisable to increase the consumption of cinnamon buns or apple pie because they are high in fat and sugar. Probably the best way to assure daily dosage with cinnamon is with supplementation. Cinnamon Bark Capsules. In addition, soaking a cinnamon stick in a cup of tea or sprinkling some cinnamon on cereal could be beneficial. In addition, natural diabetes supplement is Vaxa Diabin.
The active ingredient in cinnamon that lowers blood sugar is the water-soluble polyphenol compound called MHCP which mimics insulin, activates its receptor and works synergistically with insulin in cells.
Read Here for More Natural Diabetes Information...
FAMILY MEALS A BENEFIT
Girls Benefit from Family Meals Minnesota researchers say the regularity and quality of family meals has an impact on preventing eating disorders in girls.
The University of Minnesota team has found the significance, structure, and atmosphere of family meals may help guide adolescent girls away from developing eating disorders. It was shown that girls who ate recurring family meals in a structured and positive environment were less probable to exhibit extreme weight control behaviors, such as diet pill use, vomiting and chronic dieting.
The meal itself provides an opportunity to model healthy eating habits to children, and it also gives parents the chance to talk with their children.
The study revealed that:
1. Girls who ate three to four family meals per week were at about one-third the risk for extreme weight control practices.
2. Girls who ate five family meals per week were at about one-fourth the risk for extreme weight control practices.
3. Boys also benefit from family meals, but the association was not as strong as it is for girls.
This study found what common sense knew all along.
The University of Minnesota team has found the significance, structure, and atmosphere of family meals may help guide adolescent girls away from developing eating disorders. It was shown that girls who ate recurring family meals in a structured and positive environment were less probable to exhibit extreme weight control behaviors, such as diet pill use, vomiting and chronic dieting.
The meal itself provides an opportunity to model healthy eating habits to children, and it also gives parents the chance to talk with their children.
The study revealed that:
1. Girls who ate three to four family meals per week were at about one-third the risk for extreme weight control practices.
2. Girls who ate five family meals per week were at about one-fourth the risk for extreme weight control practices.
3. Boys also benefit from family meals, but the association was not as strong as it is for girls.
This study found what common sense knew all along.
Monday, April 17, 2006
MENOPAUSE TIPS- Natural Menopause Remedies
Nutrition for Menopause
For everyone, proper nutrition is essential to a healthy lifestyle. But for women approaching premenopause, it is fundamental in reducing unnecessary symptoms. Dietary importance should be placed on whole, unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, and healthy oils such as flaxseed and fish oils (which contain Omega-e fatty acids). Foods to avoid include the whites—salt, sugar and white flower. Reduce or minimize your animal fats and caffeine intake.
For a natural menopause remedy, soy products containing phytoestrogens that act like estrogen in the body may help. Research also suggests that 40-80 mg per day of soy may improve the symptoms of hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and possibly help reduce cholesterol.
A healthy diet and regular exercise can help prevent heart disease, which menopausal women are at an increased risk for. Before a woman reaches menopause, the higher levels of estrogen protect against LDL ("bad") cholesterol. During menopause, this protective effect diminishes and the level of HDL ("good") cholesterol decreases.
Herbal Medicine
Studies have found the herb Black Cohosh to be effective in relieving menopause related symptoms including night sweats, hot flashes and depressed mood. When considering the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and natural hormones, it is important to weigh individual risks and benefits before deciding which route to take.
There are many factors involved in reducing menopause symptoms, so it is important to seek the advice of a qualified and knowledgeable health care practitioner before using any herbal medicines.
For everyone, proper nutrition is essential to a healthy lifestyle. But for women approaching premenopause, it is fundamental in reducing unnecessary symptoms. Dietary importance should be placed on whole, unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, and healthy oils such as flaxseed and fish oils (which contain Omega-e fatty acids). Foods to avoid include the whites—salt, sugar and white flower. Reduce or minimize your animal fats and caffeine intake.
For a natural menopause remedy, soy products containing phytoestrogens that act like estrogen in the body may help. Research also suggests that 40-80 mg per day of soy may improve the symptoms of hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and possibly help reduce cholesterol.
A healthy diet and regular exercise can help prevent heart disease, which menopausal women are at an increased risk for. Before a woman reaches menopause, the higher levels of estrogen protect against LDL ("bad") cholesterol. During menopause, this protective effect diminishes and the level of HDL ("good") cholesterol decreases.
Herbal Medicine
Studies have found the herb Black Cohosh to be effective in relieving menopause related symptoms including night sweats, hot flashes and depressed mood. When considering the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and natural hormones, it is important to weigh individual risks and benefits before deciding which route to take.
There are many factors involved in reducing menopause symptoms, so it is important to seek the advice of a qualified and knowledgeable health care practitioner before using any herbal medicines.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
EarthTurns Nutritional Supplement Blog Begins
Today, we are proud to launch our nutrition blog, where customers, and non-customers can share thoughts about nutrition, natural vitamins and natural healthcare products. We hope you will take advantage of this blog and visit it often. Your comments are always welcome.
With this blog we hope to provide a place where people:
With this blog we hope to provide a place where people:
- can get honest, ethical nutritional information
- can ask questions and have the wisdom and insight of thousands of people
- share thoughts about how natural nutritional products have helped them
- write how nutritional supplementation has improved their lives
To contact EarthTurns.com, email: customerservice@earthturns.com
You may visit us on the web at www.EarthTurns.com
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